Research Cluster

The Future of Creative Work

microphone siloutted against empty stage

The COVID-19 pandemic has cut a swathe through the UK economy and society, with the country's creative workforce being hit hard.

Some venues and organizations have been able to access grants and government rescue packages, although these have been targeted largely at the ‘core’ of the industry, with grassroots and independent ‘fridge’ sectors facing ongoing financial challenges. Performers, who are often freelance or self-employed, face an even more precarious future. 

Many venues and performers found ways to adapt during and as a result of lockdown, including performing via live streams that helped audiences and performers alike to sustain a vital sense of connection and, for some performers and/or venues, an income stream. Yet, what the future holds for these new ways of performing, as well as more traditional live settings, remains uncertain.  

Our research

Our research focus

Work in live performance is characterized by multiplicity, fluidity and for many, precarity in the eponymous ‘gig economy. COVID-19 and Brexit might be thought of as ‘crises within a crisis’ in this sense. Both have revealed and accentuated structural and sectoral inequalities bringing about an immediate threat to the livelihoods of performers, many of whose working lives were already financially precarious, highlighting the value but also the vulnerabilities of creative work. Coupled with this, ongoing concerns have been raised, particularly by professional bodies, about the impact of the pandemic, and of Brexit, on a social justice agenda and on support infrastructures for those working in no/low pay contexts. 

Our research explores questions such as: How is the nature, meaning and experience of ‘live’ entertainment and performance changing, and what impact are these changes likely to have on the future of creative work? What is needed to develop and maintain the necessary infrastructure for a fair, equitable and sustainable future for creative work, and workers?

Current projects

The Future of Creative Work cluster is a collaborative hub for several ongoing research projects, including: 

Our collaborative partners

Our research is carried out in consultation with:  

 

Associate Members

Josie Underwood

Member

Future of Creative Work Cluster, Freelancers Make Theatre Work

Biography in the context of the person module

Kelly Burke

Member

Future of Creative Work Cluster, Equity

Biography in the context of the person module

Mark Inger

Member

Future of Creative Work Cluster, Culture and Creative Industries Department, Greater London Authority

Biography in the context of the person module

Julieta Canoe 

Member

Future of Creative Work Cluster, Culture and Creative Industries Department, Greater London Authority 

Biography in the context of the person module